How much does a passport cost?

Posted on:March 29th, 2014

A passport is necessary if you traveling almost anywhere outside of the United States. If you don’t have a passport yet, you will need to figure in the cost in planning your trip. Depending on how soon you are traveling and what sort of services you need, the costs can vary a bit.

Cheapest Passport

The cost of a passport starts on the low end at a little less than $200 for a routine application submitted by mail, directly to the US State Department. This doesn’t include photocopying, mailing or other document collection costs. The process can be quite confusing and it takes about two months to complete if everything goes right.

Expedited Passport

If you are traveling 1-2 months from now, the cost goes up about $80 if you submit by mail directly to the US government. It usually takes about 3 weeks but the time is not guaranteed and again, you have to gather and prepare your documents yourself. If something is wrong with your application, it will be rejected by mail and you will have to start over which can blow your timeline.

Fast Passport

If you want to get an expedited passport in person, you can make an appointment at a US passport office. The US Department of State maintains 28 locations throughout the US. The actual cost won’t be higher and the process is faster but you might have to add in the actual cost of missing work for a day and possibly even some travel expense. If you don’t have the right documents when you get there, you will have to start over which will waste your time and money.

Fastest and Easiest Passport

There is a much easier way, which can cost a bit more but saves all the hassle of dealing with the government yourself. U.S. Passport online can get you a passport in as little as one day – or for a bit less, within a couple of weeks. You do pay a little more but the service is well worth it.

U.S. Passport online will tell you exactly which forms and documents you need, then will assign you a dedicated case manager to make sure that you get the service you desire. A US government certified courier will ensure that your documents get where they need to go, at the right time and that your passport is in your hands in plenty of time. They even stand in line for you if necessary.

If you need a passport fast, fast, fast – or just want a concierge level service where the process is made as painless as possible with a minimum of confusion, check us out!